276 Captain Gerard's Account of a Survey 



rocks, on the rugged side of the dell. The species of rhodo- 

 dendron called by the natives Talsar, was observed in the vi- 

 cinity of D6n\s6n, at its level. 



The Nalgun pass, the lowest pass through the Himalaya 

 which had been yet visited, is .14,891 feet above the sea. 

 From this pass they descended to the confluence of the Nal- 

 gun and Bakti rivers, and thence proceeded along the Bakti, 

 and across the Baspd river, to Sangla, where they halted 

 several days (22d to 29th of June,) and whence they despatch- 

 ed their collection of plants and geological specimens; but the 

 paper envelopes of the latter were rendered illegible, and the 

 whole of the former destroyed, by the heavy rain which over- 

 took the despatch, in the following month. 



Messrs Gerard, resuming their journey, ascended the valley 

 of the Baspd to Chetkul, the last, and highest village in it; 

 crossing, the first day, two large branches of the Baspd, the 

 Chiding; and G6r, from the CaiUs range on the north ; and, 

 the second dav, two other considerable streams, the Mangsd 

 and Shuti. They first passed over tremendous blocks of 

 coarse-grained granite, the decomposition of which seems to 

 have formed the sand in the river ; it gives the water a turbid 

 appearance. The granite is white, and from a distance looks 

 like chalk. 



The first part of the valley has the same general character 

 with most others in the Himalaya ; but it is considerably 

 broader. The face of the mountain exposed to the S.W., 

 which is part of the Cailds or Raldang group, presents abrupt 

 precipices and threatening cliff's, with little soil, and but few 

 trees ; the opposite face again is more gently sloped, and thick- 

 ly wooded with pines, which are overtopped by a belt of birch- 

 es. Near the top of this chain, there is a good deal of snow. 

 The last half mile to the village of Rakchdm, situate in the 

 western corner of the glen (and 10,500 feet above the sea,) is 

 a rugged descent upon enormous masses of granite. The dell 

 has here a pleasing appearance, and it expands to three fur- 

 longs in breadth : half of it is laid out in thriving crops of 

 wheat and barley, and the rest is occupied by sand-beds, which 

 form many small islands, with the river winding among them. 

 Just above the village, huge piles of black rock * rise abruptly, 

 * Composed of black mica (tine-gvained) with a little oxide of iron. 



